Page Tools

Wests Tigers have failed at the last hurdle in a bid to have a footballer play who is serving time in jail.

Justin Bishop, a 194-centimetre, 115-kilogram second-rower, was set to train twice a week with the Tigers and play in games on the weekend as part of his work release program.

Tigers assistant coach Royce Simmons was behind the club's move which would have seen the giant former Penrith junior wear an electronic bracelet and be accompanied by a guardian as part of strict release conditions.

Bishop is serving six years' jail with a non-parole period of three years, after being

convicted of five counts of dangerous driving following an accident on the Great Western Highway at St Marys in January 2001. A car carrying five teenagers turned illegally in front of Bishop, who was travelling at 100kmh in an 80kmh zone.

Bishop was a former Penrith lower grader who played with the likes of Craig Gower, Tony Puletua and Ned Catic.

He is incarcerated in the low-security John Morony Correctional Centre at Windsor and already spends his weekdays working as a roof framer and his weekends at home. He is scheduled for parole in September.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Bishop's fiancee, Michelle Keighran, told the The Sun-Herald she felt her partner was being unfairly treated by prison authorities.

"Justin doesn't know that I'm talking about this," Keighran said.

"He decided it was best to let it go and not rock the boat and risk jeopardising his parole hearing. But I can't accept that.

"We've done everything, along with the Wests Tigers, that was asked of us to make it happen but they just keep shutting doors in our face.

"As far as I can see there is no incentive for people like Justin in the prison system to improve and rehabilitate themselves while they are in jail, and prepare themselves for life outside.

"Justin wants to provide for his family and start a life after jail and they're just not letting him do that.

"We feel deeply for the victims and there's not a day Justin doesn't think about it. But he's got to be allowed to move on with his life."

The Tigers were prepared to let Bishop prove himself in their Jim Beam Cup feeder club Ryde-Eastwood, and then work his way through premier league and into the first-grade squad.

But the bid has been denied by the discretionary power of successive governors at John Morony.

At 26, time is running out if Bishop is to achieve his goal of playing professionally.

"We were prepared to give Justin a go, but things haven't worked out as we had hoped," Simmons said.

"He showed some interest in playing for us, and Ryde-Eastwood were ready to give him a start there. He's been through some tough times, and showed some promise when he was young, but time is running out if he wants to be out there."

Former Kangaroo Mark Geyer was a mentor of Bishop's in his final year at Penrith in 2000.

"He had the football world at his feet, and then he was involved in this tragedy," Geyer said.

"He had the recipe for success, but then he went to jail. He's remorseful about what happened and he's got a child to look after. Everyone deserves a second chance but it looks like he is being denied his."

A Corrective Services spokesperson said the decision not to allow Bishop to play football was based on previous community outcry when John Payne was released to play for Manly's rugby union team in 2001.

"The Payne case was a precedent and two experienced governors have made the same decision on Justin," the spokesperson said.

"He is already in our work release program, and there is a pathway prepared for him as he looks at life after prison."